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You are here: Home / Column / Learning Curve: A Shoulder Season Reminder

Learning Curve: A Shoulder Season Reminder

by Maggie Slepian on December 8, 2020 Column, New Features

Learning Curve is a monthly column by outdoor journalist Maggie Slepian which will examine human-powered outdoor adventure through the lens of beginners. How do beginners learn our sports? What pitfalls do they face? How does mentality shift through time? And how should experts treat beginners? The Learning Curve will cover all this, and more. Got suggestions? Drop Maggie a line in the comments.

It was 60 degrees (15.5 C) and sunny when I left my house at 2 PM on a lovely autumn day. By the time I reached the trailhead 90 minutes later, it was down to 50 degrees (10 C), but still sunny. The forecast for town was partly cloudy, but the temperatures through the next day looked promising, and I didn’t dig any deeper. Did I check the radar to see the mountain forecast? Nope. If I had, it would have shown me the weather wasn’t going to stay as glorious as the pristine early-autumn day would lead me to believe.

Anyone heading into the mountains during the shoulder season in the Northern Rockies should be prepared for a drastic change in conditions, whether or not the forecast shows it. Am I a prime example of intelligent preparation? Obviously not, but it doesn’t mean I can’t dole out advice and provide cautionary tales from my own shortcomings.

A sunny day at a mountain lake

Hiking — 60 degrees (15.5 C) and sunny.

I had made the spur-of-the-moment plan (with myself) during a morning coffee-shop shift. My partner was out of town, as was apparently every other person I know. I could either drag myself on another depressing day hike and wander around my house alone, or I could haul ass to my house, pack my bag, and make it to the trailhead within two hours of clocking out at the cafe. A friend had mentioned an alpine lake I’d never been to—and there’s nothing more enticing to me than an alpine lake I’ve never been to.

So I rushed home, moved the pile of backpacking gear from my floor back into my pack, and decided this would be a great chance to test out my new shelter—making this the second time in my life when I would attempt to set up a trekking-pole tent. At the last minute, I threw a beanie into my bag, briefly considered gloves before deciding the two ounces (57 g) seemed too big of a sacrifice—and left my warmer sleeping bag in the closet because it was too bulky. I charged my headlamp in the truck, and before I lost service, I downloaded a Gaia map for the area—just in case.

Self timer photo at a creek crossing

Probably the most successful self-timer photo of my life.

Instead of checking the forecast and then changing my plans, packing different gear, or—I don’t know—taking a tent that I knew how to set up—I did none of the above. I happily trotted alone into the Crazy Mountains with a lightweight three-season backpacking system and a new shelter that not only had I never set up—but I also never watched even a 60-second instructional video on how to pitch. Smart!

I did throw down a few waypoints on the map as I hiked since that strategy had come in handy on other solo outings on new trails.

The lake was gorgeous, and the weather was perfect when I arrived. Within an hour though, the temperature had plummeted, and I had put on every layer I’d packed, including the beanie. As the temperature continued a stressful downward spiral, I started to pitch the trekking-pole shelter as fast as I could, which was fast at all. My hands were freezing at that point (no gloves, remember?). While the shelter was straightforward to pitch for someone experienced with trekking-pole shelters, it seemed to me like it required an advanced engineering degree. I was used to a single-hub, freestanding tent that went together in two minutes and just needed a few stakes.

High subalpine mountains

Getting into the basin—the weather was cooler but still comfortable.

Speaking of stakes, I hadn’t counted mine. For a solid pitch, the shelter required ten stakes. I had only six. I managed to get the tent mostly upright, and pulled the guylines out as far as I could before dropping massive rocks on top of them, making the walls somewhat taut as the wind picked up and blew icy air across the lake. While I was very confused by my trekking-pole shelter, I have significant backpacking experience with my normal setup. I knew the broad walls of the shelter were going to be buffeted by whatever the hell was blowing in with the dark clouds gathering over the edge of the basin.

As it got dark, the wind picked up, even more, slapping the walls of the shelter into my face. The tent collapsed twice, and I crawled out of my not-warm-enough sleeping bag, shivering, and restaked it while cursing my lack of preparation.

The wind howled throughout the night, and the echoing tap—tap tap—taptaptaptaptap meant something was falling from the sky. Rain? Sleet? Had it gotten cold enough to snow? I stared at the billowing shelter walls and watched my crooked trekking-pole supports wobble in the howling wind and thought, “I don’t care what it’s doing out there, as long as this tent stays up and I don’t have to go out there and fix it.”

I must have fallen asleep despite the wind and precipitation, because the next thing I knew, I opened my eyes to dim morning light and something dense on top of my head. I sputtered and sat up, blinking at the sagging walls. The tent had somehow stayed upright despite the weather and my awful pitch, but was completely bowed in at the sides from piles of snow. That’s what was on my head. The tent had sagged enough that the headwall—and pile of snow on the outside—had fallen directly onto my face. I checked my watch—It was 7 AM—enough light for me to make moves back to the trailhead.

Early Season snow

Well, well, well. The seasons changed overnight, as they tend to do in the mountains.

I wore all of my layers as I stuffed the tent and my sleep system into my bag, hanging the pack on a branch to keep it off the snow that now covered the ground. The wind and snow had stopped, but everything was blanketed in white. I had no idea where the trail was, but I shouldered my pack and took off in the direction of the drainage. I had slept with my phone inside my sleeping bag, so it didn’t freeze and kill the battery. I pulled up the map with my marked waypoints and angled the direction of travel towards the closest one. I was off the trail for about half a mile, then found a faint dip in the snow cover that meant packed dirt. I hurried down, dropping elevation quickly, but remained in snow, sliding across icy rocks for over an hour.

By the time I made it to the last section of the trail, the sun was out, and the snow at the lower elevation was melting quickly. I stopped to snap photos of the gorgeous light peeking out from behind snow-capped peaks, and made it back to my truck in just a few hours.

A thinly frozen lake

It was 10 degrees (-12 C) on the hike out, but the view was too pretty—I had to take this shot.

Overall, it was a poor choice to head into the mountains—even to 9,000 feet (2,743 m)—without verifying the conditions. The weather is going to look very different in a mountainous basin than it does in the surrounding valleys, and it was my fault for dismissing that fact. However, I have done enough backpacking in shoulder seasons (and winter) to avoid feeling panicky. A down jacket and a 20-degree (-6.6 C) sleeping bag are the two things I always pack—and when used together I feel comfortable down to 10 degrees (-12 C). I might not have known how to set up my shelter perfectly, but I knew enough to get it to a point where it would stay standing and provide protection. And while I was unfamiliar with that lake, I understand the topography of that area enough to easily find my way out. There was nothing technical about the trail, and following my waypoints on the way out proved simple.

No matter how experienced you are, it’s always better to be completely prepared. While I can figure things out on the fly, despite not having the best gear for the scenario, I need to remember to take a few extra minutes before each trip to completely set myself up for success.

That’s why I’m always learning. Next time I’ll definitely check the weather.

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alpine lake, gia gps, Learning Curve, Maggie Slepian, navigation, route-planning, shoulder-season, single wall tent, snow, tent stakes, trekking pole supported shelter, trip planning

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  • Dec 8, 2020 at 8:16 am #3687772
    Backpacking Light
    Admin

    @backpackinglight

    Locale: Rocky Mountains

    BPL columnist Maggie Slepian reminds new and old hands alike to prepare for shoulder-season backpacking accordingly.

    • Learning Curve: A Shoulder Season Reminder
    Dec 8, 2020 at 1:41 pm #3687823
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    Maggie, thanks for the story and photos. Beautiful mountains. I live in Nevada so have seen a few mountains too – like every day, but they are mostly desert mountains.

    As for your tent and the snow. Since I do “3 1/2 season” backpacking I choose tents that have, by their design, some wind & snow resistance.

    My true winter tent is a modified Tarptent Moment DW with a shortened Crossing Pole run under the fly. But my 3 season tent is a Tarptent Notch Li with the “solid’ inner tent using 2 hiking poles and 2 side guy lines. However… that does not means overnight snow won’t push in the sides of my tents as it slides off the fly. It’s just a fact of winter camping.

    I’d suggest you carry a pair of fleece “fingerless” gloves at a minimum, and a light fleece balaclava. The balaclava makes sleeping more comfortable as well as being a safety item.

    Dec 8, 2020 at 6:29 pm #3687874
    Sean P
    BPL Member

    @wily_quixote

    Locale: S.E. Australia

    This is not a criticism of the author – I don’t know this trail, the weather in that part of the world or the author’s competence; which seems high.

    But, Am I too much of a retro grouch that I wouldn’t rely solely upon a phone as a nav device?

    They are great when they are working well but too fragile and unreliable in my estimation for shoulder season or where whiteout is a high risk.

    When I am up in the mountains I don’t think that it is packing my fears to have a map and compass and/or a gps watch/GPS in the event of phone battery death or phone incapacity.

    Dec 9, 2020 at 10:28 am #3687970
    dirtbag
    BPL Member

    @dirtbaghiker

    Good read. I enjoy hearing/reading about adventure mishaps.. not making fun of or light of.. and definitely not some sick fettish.. but i think there is a lot one can learn from others mistakes. We all make them at one point or another and most likely they will happen when one becomes complacent…

    Thanks for posting and i too, really enjoy the photos with your writing.

    Dec 9, 2020 at 3:26 pm #3688016
    Edward John M
    BPL Member

    @moondog55

    I forgot my stove once.
    The Wasp is so small it was missed when I packed up my pot set and gas canister.
    But changeable weather is why I have a light balaclava/gloves and UL mitten shells always in the top pocket of my rucksack. In fact I have several sets of such and keep one in each sack so I don’t forget

    Dec 10, 2020 at 6:51 am #3688104
    todd
    BPL Member

    @funnymo

    Locale: SE USA

    I love the author’s honesty here!

    She not only toughed it out, she did pretty well all things considered.  A good reminder to do what we’re supposed to do.

    And the photos are great!

    Dec 10, 2020 at 10:56 am #3688127
    Eugene Hollingsworth
    BPL Member

    @geneh_bpl

    Locale: Mid-Minnesota

    Good write up Maggie. Was “experience,” or should I say, “familiarity,”  somehow influencing your decision to neglect the weather forecasts? (rhetorical question, really)

    Great pictures, glad you got out w/o a hitch. Our equivalent of variable mountain weather is fall BWCA. I’ve had 70 deg at the start of the trip and breaking ice to canoe out after a few days, so I never take northern MN weather for granted. However I bet that going for a quick over night in an area like yours I could easily make the same mistake as you did.

     

    Dec 10, 2020 at 2:52 pm #3688168
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    I’ve encountered those temperatures 45 minutes up the hill from Seattle on the 4th of July. Weather forecasters are considered more like soothsayers than scientists  here. A 40% chance of rain means it will rain 40% of the day  .

    Everyone I know who was raised in Montana describes snowfall on 4th of July camping trips.  The Rockies are one of those places where the weather is made.

     

    I’m a freak for the Ten Essentials whenever traveling off pavement. All those emergency/survival items go in a zippered pouch for instant checklist free inclusion: if I have that pouch, I’m good to go.

    I use a poncho for rain gear when hiking and it goes with me on day hikes too. Makeshift shelter as well. I also take a space blanket bivy and enough light line to pitch the poncho.

    I always have that extra layer, like a fleece or puffy vest, and a wind shell is a given. For anything other than full summer, I add liner style gloves and a micro fleece beanie.

    There was a news story a couple years ago when there were some nasty wildfires on the Columbia Gorge and there were 100+ haft hikers who were cut off from the trailhead and had to take the long way out overnight to escape the fires. Only ONE person in that group had the right stuff to survive in the woods. The rest were mostly in tees and shorts and not a shred of the Essentials.

     

    Dec 10, 2020 at 6:38 pm #3688227
    Jenny A
    BPL Member

    @jennifera

    Locale: Front Range

    I sheepishly confess that I can relate pretty well to this experience.  I have been backpacking in Colorado my entire life, but some years ago I did a quick overnight into the Indian Peaks Wilderness in late April of a warm and dry winter before overnight permit requirements kicked in.  A quick check of the weather forecast predicted wind and a chance of light snow…no biggie, especially since I was only going to be about 4 miles from the trailhead.

    Well, the storm moved in bringing that snow along with 70+mph winds.  My 3-season tent collapsed sometime during the night, and I ate a cold breakfast because the JetBoil kept blowing out.  The new water filter that I was all excited to try (the Sawyer Squeeze, which dates the experience) wasn’t very usable because snow and ice at 10,500 ft blocked access to free flowing water to treat.  It was a terrible night overall, and I feel fortunate to have gotten out a bit hungry and with only 3 bent tent poles, a rip in the fly, and a large dose of humility.

    I did have snowshoes and a good layering system, was familiar with the terrain, and was able to ration water to last for the 24 hours of the trip.  It was certainly “type 2” fun and emphasized for me the need to be familiar with new gear before heading out.   I gambled that conditions wouldn’t be as bad as was predicted and lost that bet.

    Dec 10, 2020 at 9:07 pm #3688257
    Tjaard Breeuwer
    BPL Member

    @tjaard

    Locale: Minnesota, USA

    Good read, and pretty pictures!

    Dec 13, 2020 at 1:01 pm #3688751
    Joshua B
    BPL Member

    @leukos

    Locale: Indy

    Thanks for sharing!  I’ve experienced those kinds of changes with as little as 3,000 feet in increased elevation.  A hot water bottle (nalgene) is a good safety item for scenarios where you find your clothing/sleep system inadequate when the weather and everything else goes sideways.  Cradling a heat source in the fetal position, even if you are just wrapped in a plastic bag/tarp/poncho can save your life under some pretty extreme circumstances.

    Dec 15, 2020 at 2:16 pm #3689198
    Mike M
    BPL Member

    @mtwarden

    Locale: Montana

    I’ve had good luck with NOAA’s spot forecasts, but still err on the side of pessimism :)

    Last weekend the spot forecast lows were low teens, we woke to -8.

    Also have firsthand experience getting caught out in the Crazies.

    Dec 15, 2020 at 2:34 pm #3689201
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    The northwestern US states are at the mercy of the Jetstream. It flails around like whipping a garden hose and lets warm air up from the south or an arctic blast from the north and effects whatever wetness is headed from Washington to Montana.

    A few years ago there was another weather radar installed on the Washington coast and that has improved the accuracy of the local forecasts quite a bit. The computer forecast models have improved as well.

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